The electric light we are used to, is based on the gas light. The only additional change is the room switch. Gas lights were switched on at the base of the light. The first electric lights did the same. In fact when the first room switches came out for electric lights people said “why do I need a room switch, surely I just switch the light on at the base, like the gas lights”.Electric machines that this society is built on is based on the steam engine. Exactly the same technology. They were built this way, to try and get the steam engine users to move to electric machines. People didn’t want to move even though elective machines were proved to be more efficient and effective. Uber is based on WeChat functionality. You have been able to hail a taxi in WeChat (the Chinese version of Facebook) for over five years.While, often “inventions” are disruptive they are just slightly removed from old tech. Let’s look at Digital Marketing and Martech, promises massive changes but in fact it’s actually analogue Marketing in disguise.Advertising was invented in the 1930s, there is nothing new about it. Adtech is really just about getting more irritating ads in front of me. The more I use adblockers and try and live in an ad free world, the more systems try and beat this and try and interrupt my day by placing more ads in front of me. Brands all agree that consumers don’t like adverts and broadcast their message at us.Related: LinkedIn: Is It a Waste of Time or an Opportunity? But continue. I read last week that Facebook had reached saturation point. You cannot place anymore ads on Facebook.The same with email. 1980s technology, and all marketing automation does it interrupt my day by placing more and more emails in front of me. I had an email from an x LinkedIn connection spamming me with an email. Could he email each week about what he was working on. Why do people and brands think people care what you do. We don’t. That person is no longer a connection on LinkedIn and I’m unsubscribed from his list.It’s sad that legislation, GDPR was required to put an end to email marketing, but lucky it is.While I think people thought digital marketing (and Martech) would last for 50 years, but, thankfully it’s over already.In fact all of these things, advertising, unsolicited emails, unsolicited inmails, cold calling etc all have just become noise. Noise that we have learned to filter out. Maybe it’s time to stop using old technology in the new world order, or even old technology which we think is new, but it isn’t and actually be disruptive. Time to go Social maybe?
